Cases: SLAPP

Celebrities, SLAPP: Former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill Ordered To Pay SLAPP Fees Of A Little Under $30,000 To Talk Show Host Joseph Messina

Cases: Celebrities, Cases: SLAPP

Fees Resulted After She dismissed A Revenge Porn Lawsuit Against Mr. Messina.             Recently, L.A. Superior Court Judge Yolanda Orozco decided that former U.S. Representative Katie Hill must pay former defendant Joe Messina, a radio talk show host, $29,905 in attorney’s fees under the SLAPP fee shifting provision after she dismissed him from her revenge […]

SLAPP: $500 Contractual Fee Cap In Contractual Fees Clause Did Not Govern Recovery To Prevailing SLAPP Party

Cases: SLAPP

No Authority Cited To Engraft Contract Principle Into SLAPP Recovery.             We do have to hand it to the non-prevailing party on a SLAPP motion for creativity.  In Ricketts v. Integrity Property Management, Case No. B302685 (2d Dist., Div. 5 Apr. 27, 2021) (unpublished), a non-prevailing SLAPP litigant argued that mandatory SLAPP fees were “capped”

Employment, SLAPP: Reversal Of Defendant’s Successful SLAPP Motion Necessitated Reversal Of Defendant’s $44,800 § 425.16(c)(1) Attorney Fees Award.

Cases: Employment, Cases: SLAPP

The Protected Activity Claimed By Defendant Supported Only An Element Of Plaintiff’s Causes Of Action, But Did Not Subject Those Causes Of Action To A Challenge Under Code Civ. Proc. § 425.16.             In Verceles v. Los Angeles Unified School Dist., Case No. B303182 (2d Dist., Div. 7 April 19, 2021) (unpublished), FEHA plaintiff

In The News, SLAPP. . . . Carlsbad Councilwoman Cori Schumacher Ordered To Pay $47,191 To Two Prevailing Defendants When Her Social Media Civil Harassment Petition Was Dismissed Via A SLAPP Motion

Cases: SLAPP, In The News

Earlier, She Was Ordered To Pay $2,625 In Fees To A Third Prevailing Defendant.             Carlsbad Councilwoman Cori Schumacher, a former surfing champion, brought a civil harassment claim against Anthony Bona, Noel Breen, and Larry Posner for their outspoken criticism of her on social media.  Unfortunately, her petition was dismissed as to Mr. Posner in

SLAPP: Trial Court Properly Denied SLAPP Motion, But Did Not Abuse Discretion In Denying Attorney Fees Requested By Prevailing Cross-Complainants

Cases: SLAPP

SLAPP Motion Sought To Strike Allegations That Were Not Connected To An Identified Claim For Relief, But Was Not Frivolous.             In Noguera v. Hull, Case No. A157714 (1st Dist., Div. 1 January 29, 2021) (unpublished), plaintiff sued neighbor defendants for their alleged failure to pay their share of improvement costs for certain improvements to

Ethics, POOF!, SLAPP!: Attorney Fees And Costs Awarded To Successfully SLAPPing Defendants Goes POOF! With Reversal Of Trial Court’s Partial Grant Of Defendants’ SLAPP Motion

Cases: Ethics, Cases: POOF!, Cases: SLAPP

Defendants’ Internet And Twitter Statements Against Plaintiffs Consisted Mainly Of "Vulgar And/Or Adolescent Personal Insults, Misogynistic, Racist, And Xenophobic Comments, And Other Slurs Having Nothing To Do With Any Reasoned Discussion Of Trustworthiness, Competence, Or Any Other 'Public Issue Or An Issue Of Public Interest.'”             In Block v. Bramzon, Case Nos. B292129/B297198 (2d

Fees On Fees, SLAPP: Trial Court’s Additional Award To Successfully SLAPPing Defendant Of $15,660 In Fees And $368.44 In Costs After Initial Fees Award Of $10,910 And $60 In Costs Was No Abuse Of Discretion

Cases: Fees on Fees, Cases: SLAPP

Defendant Was Entitled To Recover Fees And Costs Incurred In Responding To Plaintiff’s Numerous Attempts To Overturn The Trial Court’s Grant Of The SLAPP Motion, Not Just The Fees/Costs She Incurred In Bringing The Anti-SLAPP Motion.             After successfully SLAPPing plaintiff’s complaint and being awarded $10,910 in attorney fees and $60 in costs under

SLAPP: $24,175 In Attorney’s Fees Award Was No Abuse Of Discretion For A Litigant Successfully Striking A Defamation Cross-Claim

Cases: SLAPP

No Meet And Confer Requirement Under SLAPP Statute, With Cross-Complainant Not Dismissing The Cross-Complaint Until After The SLAPP Motion Was Filed.             In Trinity Risk Management, LLC v. Simplified Labor Staffing Solutions, Inc., Case No. B297176 (2d Dist., Div. 8 Jan. 11, 2021 unpublished; published on Jan. 14, 2021), a cross-complainant—although indicating an intent to

SLAPP, Special Fee Shifting Statutes: Founding Partner Of Software Company Did Get Hit With Some Fee/Costs Exposure From Shareholder Derivative Case And Malicious Prosecution Case Which Was SLAPPed

Cases: SLAPP, Cases: Special Fee Shifting Statutes

Not Huge Amounts, But Some Challenges Were Untimely And Some Were Not Meritorious.             To end the year, we post on Storix, Inc. v. Johnson, Case Nos. D075308/D077096 (4th Dist., Div. 1 Dec. 31, 2020) (unpublished), which was a very contested dispute between software company Storix and founder Mr. Johnson, which dragged in various directors

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